Spread The Word
by i.am.a.freckle
Summary: set at the end of fifth year and eventually leads into sixth year. marauder era. mayer hawkins is just another student at hogwarts. she gets along with everyone, except for that creepy severus snape. basically, a story about your average girl... or is it?


**Chapter One**

**Quill-Tapping, Eye-Twitching and Projectile-Shoe-Throwing**

I strained my mind, trying to think back to all the revision questions my friend Rebeckah Jones had set me. _Think May! Think! _I urged myself. I was usually good in tests, but today seemed different. Everyone was skittish today and all my friends were on edge. Especially two of my closest friends, Emily Saunders and Lori Yoshimoto, who were forever worrying about their marks and grades. I generally wasn't much of a worrier. I cruised through life, doing the occasional work here and there if I absolutely had to. I still got quite good grades, much to the dismay of Emily.

I knew I was making good time and I must have been further along than most people, but my mind just wouldn't work. I could hear the scratching of quills and a boy beside me, Remus Lupin, tapping his quill on his table as he reread what he'd written for, what seemed to me, the hundredth time since he finished ten minutes ago. His incessant tapping was putting me off even more than I already was.

_Tap, tap, tap_. Stop it... _Tap, tap. _Grr, I could kill him! _Tap, tap, tap_. If only I could reach across, snap it in half and shove it up his- I caught myself before I did something violent. I took a deep breath and looked back to my test paper. _Must finish test!_ I urged myself and I flicked the paper over to answer the next question.

After about fifteen minutes more of worrying, quill-scratching and mind-wracking, I was finally finished. I placed my quill on the table in front of me. I stretched my arms out in front of me and yawned. Tests were tough work! I looked over at Emily who was sitting on my other side gazing thoughtfully at the boy in front of her. Her elbow was leant on the table and her head rested in her palm as she stared, without blinking. Her quill was hanging loosely in her other hand and looked in danger of slipping out. I cleared my throat loudly, which made her jump. She looked over at me and I smirked at her. She blushed and leant down over her test paper.

I smiled to myself and rolled my eyes as I turned back to Remus Lupin who was still tapping his quill. It wasn't nearly as annoying now as it was fifteen minutes ago. He looked pale and on edge, but I put it down to the anxiousness of tests. Remus was smart and was one of the studiers who stayed up day and night trying to memorise every little fact and figure even if they already knew it. Rebeckah was one of those. So was another girl in my class, Lily Evans.

_Tap, tap_. Can't he find anything else to do? _Tap, tap, tap_. Just then my eye started twitching. I couldn't help it, so I sat there letting my eye twitch and trying not to giggle. Finally, when I thought this exam would never end, Professor Flitwick's squeak of a voice echoed through the Great Hall.

"Quills down, please! That means you too, Stebbins! Accio!" A couple of hundred test papers zoomed toward the professor, knocking him off his feet. I heard a few people laugh heartily, and let out a little giggle myself, and I saw one of my best friends Drew Lane along with a couple other students help him back to his feet.

Flitwick thanked them then dismissed us. Gratefully, I rose to my feet, stuffed my quill, ink and test paper into my bag and slung it onto my shoulder, walking to stand beside Emily as she pulled her own bag onto her back. But, unlike me, she kept the question sheet out to check which answers she'd gotten correct and which ones she hadn't gotten. I snorted at her as she frantically went over the questions, ticking off the ones she was certain she'd answered correctly. I could see Lori chatting to Drew at the front of the Hall, so I called out to them.

"Hey Lori! Drew! Hurry up, will you?" I yelled at the top of my voice so as to be heard over the chatter around me. Drew sent me a rude gesture, which I laughed at before sending one back. I turned to Emily. "Come on - let's go. Knowing those two it'll be forever until they get out of here!" I said to her, dragging her by the elbow into the Entrance Hall. She was still absorbed in the test paper and didn't even seem to register the change in scenery as we walked through the double doors into the Entrance Hall. I rolled my eyes at her.

We came out of the Hall just behind Lily Evans and her group of friends and just in front of the infamous Marauders. Me and Emily just caught their conversation over the hoards of other conversations taking place around us.

"Did you like question ten, Moony?" Sirius Black's voice was filled with humour. I didn't know why he found this funny. Perhaps they had had a funny moment while studying for whatever subject question ten asked about. As for the odd nickname, I was used to it. Everyone was. The Marauders had been calling each other these nicknames since about second year and we figured it was a way of enforcing the exclusiveness of their 'gang'.

"Loved it," said Remus Lupin smartly. "_Give five signs that identify the werewolf_. Excellent question."

I was prevented from listening in on the rest of their conversation by Emily, who had decided to come back to reality and stop poring over the test paper.

"I thought so too," she said seriously. I rolled my eyes again as Emily listed off what she'd put for that particular question. This then led onto other questions and answers, which took us out into the grounds. I steered Emily, who wasn't really paying any attention to where she was going, over to a comfortable-looking patch of grass on which I sat, pulling her down with me. She abandoned her test paper and threw it into her bag, took off her shoes and socks and wiggled her bare toes around.

"How do you think you went muffin? Judging by what you've been spouting off to me just now, you must have aced it," I said, slipping my own shoes and socks off. She stared sadly at her toes and shook her head. "Oh, did that bad, naughty Sirius Black distract you again? Do you want me to go over there and kill him for you?" I joked cheekily, gesturing to the tree where the Marauders were seated, talking amongst themselves. I knew that Emily didn't like Sirius Black in that way, but it was fun teasing her about it.

Emily sent me a Look and rolled her eyes. "He did _not_ distract me," she insisted. She hesitated and then added, "Not in the way you think, in any case. I was just pondering how his hair looks like it belongs in one of those modelling magazines Jessica's always showing us."

I laughed at her comment - it was one of her funnier ones, and trust me, they don't come along very often. Just as it had left her lips, though, Jessica Fletcher sat down across from me followed by the rest of out motley crew, Drew and Lori amongst them. Drew sat down next to me and dropped his mop of thick, curly black hair onto my shoulder.

"Groan, May. I'm buggered and we've still got Transfiguration next! I am going to be dead by the end of next week!" he muttered into my shoulder. I patted him on the head before turning to the rest of the group.

Lee Martin, Mason Garret and Jay Summers were standing a little away from us, throwing Jay's football around. Charlie Baxter was sitting across from Emily with Holly Matthews lying in his lap, her eyes closed and her test paper shielding them from the sun. Keira Oliver was running around with Tessa Leonard on her back. They were both laughing hysterically. Laura Kane was sitting between Emily and Rebeckah and her and the latter still had their test papers with them, but had taken their Defence text books out, and were comparing and checking their answers. Riley Edwards had plopped down next to Jess and was now poking her for his own entertainment. Claudia Cooper, better known as Coop, had settled herself next to him and was now reading a book quietly. Lori was sitting in between Drew and Coop looking bored and tired.

"So how did you guys go?" I asked the group at large. Everyone sitting down turned to me to answer.

"Please don't make me think about it," Jess groaned, reminding me spectacularly of Drew a couple seconds prior. Emily wiggled her toes next to me in agreement.

"Yeah, I didn't go too badly," Charlie said, stroking Holly's long honey-coloured hair. Holly sent me a look, which meant 'Please don't ask' before closing her eyes again.

Rebeckah and Laura glanced up from their papers and Rebeckah opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Riley who had grown tired of poking Jess.

"Those two smarty-pants obviously aced it," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, like, totally," Drew said from next to me in a high, girly voice. Him and Riley high-fived and did some weird boy handshake. Lori rolled her eyes at them.

"I went alright, I guess. I skipped a few, but overall I did pretty well," she said, pulling her silky, long black hair from where she had tied it up. Lori was Japanese and had the most amazing hair I had ever seen. Hers was even prettier than Sirius Black's. I snorted at the thought which drew the attention of the surrounding people.

"What was that for?" Lori asked, affronted.

"Sorry, I wasn't snorting at you," I said quickly. Lori relaxed again. "I just thought -"

"Pay her no mind, Lori!" Lee said as he, Jay and Mason came over to the group to sit down. "She's a little touched in the head."

Riley pulled an odd face and made the universal symbol of 'crazy'.

"Oi!" I said, throwing one of Emily's shoes at Riley and the other at Lee.

"Hey! Why can't you use your own shoes as projectiles?" Emily whined, standing up so she could collect her shoes. She, unfortunately, stood on a stick as she made her way back to her little patch of grass and ended up doing a funny little hop-dance before sitting back down. "Ouchies! Ouchies!"

Me and Drew laughed hysterically at her, which made her glare back at us as she rubbed the sole of her foot. Suddenly, raised voices pierced the conversation. Drew's head lifted off my shoulder as we all looked up towards the castle where a ring of students had appeared. Me and Drew exchanged looks before grinning madly.

"Let's get a closer look shall we?" he suggested, raising his eyebrow. I nodded mischievously and Drew, Riley and I all stood up.

"Report back, yeah?" said Charlie.

"Yes, Captain!" I saluted him and me, Riley and Drew all ran off up the lawn to find out what was going on.

In the middle of the ring was James Potter, his wand hanging loosely at his side and Sirius Black, his face an image of excitement, both looking at Lily Evans, who looked extremely angry. Her emerald green eyes were blazing and her shoulder-length auburn hair was whipping around her head in the slight breeze. Behind James and Sirius was Severus Snape, a Slytherin boy in our year. He had pink soap suds foaming around his mouth and he seemed frozen in place.

"Leave him alone! What's he done to you?" Lily was saying.

"Well," James started, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean..."

Everyone in the ring laughed. I knew we shouldn't be laughing at Snape's misfortune, but it was a very witty comment. I could hear Sirius's bark-like laugh over everyone else's.

"You think you're funny, but you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him _alone_."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans." Drew and I exchanged a knowing look. James had been following Lily and asking her out every chance he got as far back as anyone could remember. "Go on... go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the Giant Squid," said Lily.

"Ooh, shun!" Drew exclaimed as we all laughed.

"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius. He turned around and yelled, "OI!"

Everyone's eyes darted back to Severus Snape who had managed to grasp his fallen wand and aim it at James. There was a flash of light and the next minute, a huge gash appeared on the side of James's face. It was bleeding heavily, splattering his robes with blood. James turned around and there was another flash. Snape was hanging upside down in the air and his robes had fallen over his head, revealing skinny legs and greying underwear.

"Oh my God, that is disgusting!" I cried, ducking behind Drew, who had pulled an excellent face of disgust. Riley mimed vomiting.

Everyone else was roaring with laughter, James and Sirius included. I looked over to Lily to see how she would react. I saw the corner of her mouth twitch a little, but she said, "Let him down!"

"Certainly," said James. He jerked his wand and Snape fell to the ground. He disentangled himself from his robes and stood up, his wand in hand. Sirius, however anticipated him and said, "_Petrificus Totalus!"_

Snape keeled over under the effects of _Petrificus Totalus_ and Lily shouted, "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" She whipped her wand out and pointed it directly at James. Sirius and him eyed it warily. The crowd's cheers and laughter died down. The excitement and jubilation was replaced by tension as Lily and James stared each other down. There was a silence, which was broken what seemed like minutes later by James.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you."

"Take the curse off him then!" James hesitated before sighing and muttering the counter-curse.

"There you go. You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus - "

Snape struggled to his feet and snapped, "I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

_Oh my!_ I thought. That was the ultimate sin - calling Lily a Mudblood in front of James. Snape was definitely going to get it now...

"Fine," said Lily. "I won't bother in future. And I'd wash my pants if I were you, _Snivellus_."

"Apologise to Evans!" James shouted, pointing his wand yet again at Snape.

"I don't want you to make him apologise! You're as bad as he is!" Lily shouted.

"What?" James yelped. "I'd never call you a - you-know-what!"

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just gotten off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can - I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK." Lily turned and ran back to where her friends were sitting by the edge of the lake.

"Dang," I breathed as James called after her.

"What is it with her?" James asked of Sirius, disconcerted.

"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate," Sirius replied. I snorted a little. _A bit conceited? _

"Right," James said, "right." There was a flash of light and Snape was upside-down in the air again. "Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"

"Eww, let's go. It's pretty much over and I really don't want to see what's under Snape's underwear," I said, my nose scrunching up. Drew nodded and grabbed Riley by the sleeve, dragging him behind him as we made our way back to our friends.

"Hey! Let go - I can walk by myself!" Riley exclaimed, twisting out of Drew's grip. Drew grinned at him. As we reached the group, I plopped back into my position next to Emily and everyone looked at us expectantly.

"Well? What was happening?" Jess asked.

I shrugged. "Nothing much. Potter and Black were bullying Snape again and Lily tried to stop them. Just the usual," I replied.

"Shooshies!" Holly called from where she was still lying on Charlie's lap. "I'm trying to get in some sleep before the Transfiguration exam!" We all laughed.

After a while of conversation, I started yawning. I was dead tired - I hadn't slept much the night before trying to cram for the Defence exam.

"Are we boring you, Mayer?" Emily asked, wiggling her toes.

I raised an eyebrow at her toes. "Nah. I am so tired I could just drop here and now," I replied.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," agreed Keira who had settled herself in between Lori and Claudia during the time we had been away. We all sat in sleepy silence until the bell rang to signal lunch. We all sighed, stood up and made our straggly way up to the Hall.

That night I was sitting in the Gryffindor common room with Emily in the comfiest chairs by the fire. Emily was cramming for the History of Magic exam the next day and I was sitting staring into the fireplace. The fire inside was jumping about and licking at the logs. It was entrancing.

"Are you a pyromaniac?" Emily said, breaking me from my thoughts. I looked over at her, my eyebrows raised. She had put down her notes and was watching me.

"No. At least I don't think so," I replied, turning back to the fire. I was thinking about the events of that day. What did it feel like to be Snape - to be constantly picked on? Why _did_ Sirius and James pick on him all the time. It's not that I liked the guy or anything - I thought he was creepy - but did anyone actually deserve some of the stuff that Sirius and James did to him?

Emily looked at me expectantly. "Are you okay? What's on your mind?"

"Which one do you want me to answer?" I asked, sending her a wry grin. She rolled her eyes.

"The first one. The second one. Both," she said, shrugging. I sighed and stared back into the fire.

"I don't know. I guess I'm fine. I just feel a little sorry for Snape."

"Why? He's so creepy," Emily said, shuddering.

"And don't I know it," I said darkly.

"Do you know what he did? One time when you were sick I had to sit next to him in Potions. He was talking to himself and he kept throwing me strange looks." Emily then did a perfect, but slightly over the top imitation of Severus Snape. I giggled.

"Yeah, well, that wouldn't surprise me. I don't know, I just..." I trailed off. "I just feel sorry for him 'cause James and Sirius are always picking on him. They just seem a little cruel sometimes."

Emily looked at me incredulously. "May, the guy talks to himself. Don't feel _too_ sorry for him or maybe I might force _you_ to sit next to him in Potions."

I giggled again. "Yeah, whatever. You'd miss me too much."

"Yes, I would actually," Emily said thoughtfully. "Ah well, maybe we can have a fight so I can force you to sit with him. Then I wouldn't miss you too much."

"Em, you are incapable of fighting with someone. You're too nice," I replied, laughing.

"Why thank you, m'dear," Emily said absentmindedly as she turned back to her History notes. I shook my head and turned back to the fire. Maybe I was a pyromaniac... We fell into a comfortable silence, until Emily broke it.

"I can't read my writing, May. Help me?" she said sheepishly, holding out her History notes.

I rolled my eyes again. "What would you do without me?" I asked, exasperatedly.

She just grinned and shook them a little in her hands. I grabbed them off her and we both giggled a little.

"Wake up, muffin! It's the beginning of a new day!" I groaned and attempted to roll over. There was a heavy lump lying on top of me, which made it very hard to move around. I finally was able to summon enough strength to push the lump off, which fell off my bed and landed on the floor with a loud 'thump'. "Ouch," groaned Emily as she stood up and sat on my bed, careful this time, not to sit on me.

"Go away," I mumbled from under the duvet.

"Don't be such a sleepy head. We need to get up so we can have a good breakfast and still have time to fit in some last-minute cramming," Emily whispered into my ear. She then slapped me over the head and told me to get up again.

"That's okay, you go on. I'll just risk failing the exam and have a little bit of extra sleep," I replied with a yawn.

"Get _up_, you arse! You promised last night!" Emily whined. I sat up straight in bed.

"I did not! When did I do that?" I snapped.

"You didn't, but it got you up didn't it?" Emily said, grinning at me. I paused and realised that she was right. I was up and nothing me or anyone else did was going to change that.

"You suck," I mumbled as I threw the covers back and got out of bed. I shivered as my feet hit the cold floor, but I slipped them into my slippers, grabbed my dressing gown and led the way across the room, making sure I grabbed my schoolbag on the way out the door.

"You forget, Mayer dearest, that I am your best friend and that I have been so since first year. I _know _that once you open your eyes you won't be able to go to sleep until at least twelve hours later," Emily said cockily as she followed me down the stairs.

I plopped into one of the chairs and pulled out my own History of Magic notes and began reading them over.

"How do you want to work this?" Emily asked as she pulled out notebooks filled with History notes alone. "We can start with the Goblin Riots in the eighteenth century, or..." Emily searched through her notebooks, "or the International Confederation of Wizards, or Laws and Regulations..."

"Look, Em, I really don't care," I replied with a yawn. My eyes felt droopy and I needed at least some coffee before I could start making decisions.

"Fine," Emily said coolly, "Goblin Riots it is."

She then went into a stage of very annoying recitals of what she knew about them. I was gob-smacked. I was following her with my own notes and what she was saying was a whole lot more than what I'd written down. As she paused to verify a fact, I interrupted her before she could spout off more.

"Bloody hell, Em. Why aren't you in Ravenclaw?"

"What?" She asked, looking up at me.

"Well, judging by what you've just said, you don't even need to revise," I said.

"Don't be stupid," Emily said, but she couldn't stop herself smiling. I grinned at her tiredly and told her to shut up as she started again. After about ten minutes, I groaned.

"God, I need a coffee!" I exclaimed.

"Did someone say 'coffee'?" asked a voice as someone popped up right beside my head from behind the couch. I screamed and jumped, managing to throw my notes everywhere. I turned around, my eyes wide in alarm to find out who or what had spoken.

There was a head. A very familiar head. A head that looked oddly like that belonging to Sirius Black. He was grinning madly at me so I decided to glare.

"You scared me half to death!" I exclaimed, clutching my heart pathetically.

"Oh yes, I heard," he said casually, standing up and sitting in one of the other couches. "What were you saying about coffee?"

"I said I needed a coffee," I repeated with a roll of my eyes. I turned to Emily to exchange a Look with her, but she was busy rolling around on the floor, laughing her head off.

"That - was - hilarious! Your - face!" she gasped between giggles. I pouted and dropped back onto the couch.

"Thanks for the back-up, Em!" I said angrily. I turned around to tell Sirius off, but he had disappeared. "Hey, where did he go?"

It took a few minutes to calm Emily down. By the time I decided to help her, she could hardly breathe from laughing. She was looking at me pathetically from the floor, tears pouring from her bright blue eyes, wheezing in between raucous laughter. I was still stroppy with her, but as much as Mr and Mrs Saunders loved me I don't think they'd accept it if I let their beloved daughter die from lack of oxygen right in front of me and I didn't do anything. Even if the lack of oxygen was caused by the laughter that was aimed at the face I made when I was scared to death by Sirius Black.

By the time she stopped laughing, a few more students had trickled into the common room, most of which were staring oddly at my poor friend dying on the floor. After the laughter attack was over, Emily sat back on her couch and pulled her notes towards her again while I attempted to gather the notes of mine that had gone flying when I jumped off the couch. I had to wrestle a couple of pages about the Goblin Riots from Mary McDonald, who had picked them up and had started rapidly going over them. After I regained my notes she went off down to breakfast in a huff. Every now and then Emily would giggle a little before calming down again. My heart rate was just going back to normal when that dratted head popped back up.

"Coffee!" Sirius screeched in my ear. I jumped again, though not as spectacularly as last time and turned around to glare at him. Unfortunately, this was enough to set Emily off again. Sirius grinned and showed me a tray with three cups of steaming coffee on it. I continued to glare at him as I grabbed one of the mugs and sat back down.

"Do you know how long it took to calm her down? Now you've gone and set her off again!" I exclaimed, taking a sip of my mug. "Mm... so good..."

Sirius placed the tray on the coffee table, grabbed one of the mugs and sat down on the arm of Emily's couch. Emily looked at him helplessly and laughed.

"Do you want a coffee?" Sirius asked, holding the coffee out to Emily so that she could smell the it. Emily nodded, still laughing hysterically. "Right-o, then. I'm sorry but you can't have a mug until you stop laughing."

Surprisingly, Emily stopped laughing immediately. I gaped at Sirius who grinned at Emily who was now sipping her coffee happily. Sirius smirked and shrugged, picking up his own and sitting on the couch next to me. I shuffled over a little and Sirius pouted.

Just then, Lily marched downstairs, her red hair flying out behind her and her emerald green eyes flashing dangerously. Sirius chuckled and shook his head a little before standing up, placing his mug on the table and walking over to Lily.

"Morning, Evans," Sirius said casually. Lily turned her fiery gaze onto Sirius. "What's got you in such a feisty mood?" I had the feeling that Sirius knew exactly why Lily was so 'feisty'.

"You call him down now, Black! He's gone too far this time!" Lily said, her voice shaking slightly. I then noticed the ball of brown paper scrunched up in her hand. She waved the ball around as she spoke. "Call him down now so I can tell him what an arrogant, stuck-up little slime-ball he is! I want him to know how disgustingly inappropriate this... this... _thing_," Lily gestured wildly to the ball in her hand, her voice rising, "is. How _dare_ he? Is he even more mature than an eleven-year-old? Does he even _know _the difference between what is appropriate and what so _obviously _isn't? Call him down _now_, Black! Right this instant!"

Sirius cut off her rant with a casual wave of his hand. "Settle down, Evans. It was only a gift. At least it had a nice card," he said. I cringed. No one told Lily to 'settle down' when she was in one of her rants about James.

"A nice... a nice _card_?" Lily seemed faint. I couldn't tell wether Sirius's comment had made her angrier or wether she was just shocked at such a claim. After she regained her composure, her eyes widened so much that they were almost popping out of her head and the next words she spoke were in a full-blown screech. "A nice card? Are you daft, Black? Are you honestly daft enough to think that a girl fancies being told that..." Lily opened the scrunched up card to reference James, "... that 'I am the man of your wildest dreams and I would love to pop your cherry anytime you please'?"

My mouth dropped open. I honestly felt sorry for James at that point. He was such a hyper and immature boy that he thought that kind of talk was found adorable by the female population. Plus he had to deal with the Wrath of the Lily-Monster. Sirius grinned, obviously finding the quote fairly amusing.

"Okay, maybe he needs to work on his seduction methods, but come on, Lily. The guys means well!" Sirius said reasonably. Just then Remus walked in through the portrait hole, his hair ruffled at the back and his eyes shadowed by large rings. It looked as though he had been studying all night and had fallen asleep in the Library.

"You!" Lily yelled at Remus, whose eyelids had been slowly drooping as he dragged his feet across the common room. He jumped at the sudden noise and looked alarmingly at Lily who was pointing one long, perfectly-manicured finger at him. The poor guy looked as though he were a deer caught in the headlights of a considerably large truck. He looked around him to see if Lily could possibly be talking to anyone else. After he had ruled that out, he made his sleepy way over to Lily and Sirius.

"Bloody Hell, Rem, you look like shite!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Mrmhm," Remus grumbled, rubbing his face with one hand. "Fell asleep at the Library."

"Again?" Sirius asked incredulously. I laughed out loud.

"Mm..." Remus muttered, turning to walk up the boys' stairs.

"Wait!" Lily roared just as Remus put his foot on the first stair. "Come back here. _Now_." She commanded. Remus obeyed, too tired to argue.

"What's up, Lily?" Remus asked calmly.

"Surely, Remus, as a prefect, you despise the use of these... terms... in relation to a person of the opposite sex. Especially to a person of the opposite sex who has _continually_ rejected -"

"He didn't send that present, did he?" Remus asked in disbelief. Sirius cringed noticeably. "Oh God. What a prat. Lily, on behalf of James, I apologise for the present and the accompanying card. James wasn't in his right mind when he picked that specific present." Sirius snorted loudly and even in his extremely tired state, Remus managed to send a warning glance at him. Lily, however, seemed to be calming down considerably. She flicked her long red hair over her shoulder and shoved the ball into Sirius's hand.

"Give that to him or throw it in the rubbish. I don't care. Just tell him that I never have and never will go out with him," she said coldly before turning on her heel and stalking out the portrait hole. Remus glared at Sirius. He seemed a lot more awake after having to calm down Lily.

"Get upstairs, Sirius. I need to have a little chat with you and Prongs," Remus said menacingly, scolding Sirius like a little boy. Sirius sent Remus a sheepish look before walking back to the coffee table and grabbing his coffee. He sent me a smirk before walking back over to Remus.

"See you later, Mayer Hawkins," he said over his shoulder with a bit of a smirk as Remus marched him up the stairs.

"I can't believe you let him send it! What in the name of Merlin were you thinking? Actually you probably weren't..." Remus lectured Sirius as he led him up the stairs. Sirius poked his tongue out at the back of Remus's head but followed him all the same. Poor James.

I whistled lowly as soon as Remus and Sirius had disappeared at the top of the stairs and turned back to Emily. She was looking on in amusement and I had a funny feeling that if I didn't get her out of the common room soon I really was going to have to owl her parents telling them she'd died.

"Come on, Em, let's go eat," I said, standing and pulling her up with me. I ditched my empty cup on the table and dragged Emily out of the portrait hole.


End file.
